Factsheets and Guides

Factsheet: Sex discrimination legislation in Britain

This factsheet gives an overview of the two main pieces of legislation in Great Britain which cover discrimination on the grounds of sex: the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Equal pay Act 1970.

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Sex Discrimination Act 1975: Harassment and sexual harassment in the employment field

This factsheet explains the provisions in the Sex Discrimination Act which make sexual harassment and harassment on the grounds of sex unlawful. These provisions were inserted into the Act with effect from 1 October 2005.

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Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and Equal Pay Act 1970: Discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy and maternity leave in the employment field

This factsheet explains the provisions in the Sex Discrimination Act which make discrimination on grounds of pregnancy and maternity leave unlawful. These provisions were inserted into the Act with effect from 1 October 2005.

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Gender Reassignment - A Guide for Employers

This is a practical guide to help employers understand how the relevant law applies, and how to deal with issues which may arise, when a job applicant or member of staff is a transsexual person.

The guide has a particular focus on the protection that the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 gives job applicants and employees who intend to undergo, are undergoing or have undergone gender reassignment. Since 1999 it has been unlawful under the Act for employers to discriminate against people on these grounds. As a result of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 transgendered people have new legal rights and the new guide expands and updates existing guidance to take account of these.

Click here to view the PDF version of the Guide.

Click here to view the Word version of the Guide.

On 4 January 2005, the Gender Recognition Panel (GRP) published guidance on the Gender Recognition Act 2004 which can be found on the GRP website at http://www.grp.gov.uk

A Guide to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975

The focus of the guide to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 is on the provisions of the Act which are likely to be of particular interest to those on whom it imposes obligations of confers rights. This guide does not have the force of law: only the Act has that; and authoritative interpretations of the Act can be provided only by the courts and employment tribunals. Please note that this version of the guide was published in December 1997 and does not reflect subsequent changes to the law.

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A Guide to the Equal Pay Act 1970

The Guide to the Equal Pay Act has been revised to reflect recent legislative changes. It provides an explanation of the law and details of where to go to get further information.

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